Chapter 296
The bar Axel drags me into looks like it was carved directly from the trench wall by a very angry god. Jagged stone columns loom over us, slick with algae, and the whole place hums with a low, steady vibration, like the rock itself is alive. It’s packed, noisy, and lit by hanging orbs of bioluminescent jellyfish that cast everything in a surreal blue-green haze.
Axel steers me to the bar with the casual authority of someone who’s spent way too much of his life in places like this. He slaps the counter and orders two drinks I can’t even begin to pronounce. The bartender—a squat, grizzled Enkian with scales down one arm—grunts, disappears, and returns with two squat abalone jugs.
“Drink up,” Axel says, pushing one toward me. “Dagonian delicacy.”
I eye the shimmering, slightly luminescent liquid inside with deep suspicion. “It’s not going to eat through my stomach lining, is it?”
Axel grins. “Only if you’re weak.”
Challenge accepted.
I take a sip.
It hits like a wall of fire.
I cough, nearly choking, and slam the jug down on the counter as my throat burns all the way to my toes. Axel laughs so hard he nearly falls off his stool.
But then—just as suddenly—the heat fades, replaced by a cooling, silky aftertaste that soothes everything it just scorched. I blink, stunned, then take another cautious sip.
“This is…” I clear my throat. “Definitely unlike anything I’ve had before.”
Axel lifts his jug in salute. “That’s Atlas for you. Most things here defy explanation. Best not to think too hard about it.”
We fall into a comfortable silence, sipping our drinks, listening to the hum of conversation and the occasional roar of laughter from the tables around us.
After a while, guilt worms its way into my gut. I set my jug down and look at him. “I’m sorry. About bringing all this trouble to your doorstep.”
Axel sighs and leans back, rolling the jug between his palms. “It’s not your fault Shoal’s a glory-seeking psychopath. Or that our parents were too busy being disappointed in him to see where it was all leading.”
“So it’s true?” I ask. “He’s always been… like this?”
Axel raises a brow. “Your mate hasn’t regaled you with every dastardly tale of his and Shoal’s sour relationship? It’s one of his favorite pastimes.”
I laugh. “I wasn’t sure if Wake’s version of events was entirely reliable. Bit biased, you know.”
Axel smirks. “Probably. But accurate enough. Shoal’s not your run-of-the-mill petty villain. He’s a politician. A scholar. Smart, strategic, dangerous. Unfortunately, none of those things play well in the Deep.”
I nod slowly. “Wake’s mentioned as much.”
Axel leans in, voice dropping a little. “That’s where the resentment comes from, I think. Wake’s the perfect soldier. The brilliant strategist. The natural leader. He inspires people to greatness without even trying.”
He taps his jug against the counter.
“And Shoal? Shoal’s gifts were always better suited to court politics. Diplomacy. Manipulation. Things that don’t mean much down here, where survival trumps everything else. He was different. And he hated being reminded of it.”
“That’s a tough place to grow up,” I say quietly. “When no one believes in you… it makes you desperate to prove everyone wrong. No matter the cost.”
Axel studies me over the rim of his jug. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe we grew too comfortable in the dark. Forgot where the real threats lay.”
I lean closer, whispering, “Like Leviathan.”
Axel snorts. “No need to whisper here. That name’s a bedtime story at best. Monster under the waves, meant to scare little trenchlings into behaving.”
“But it’s not,” I say, voice steady. “Leviathan’s real. And he’s more dangerous than anyone here can imagine.”
Axel’s grin fades. He takes a long, slow drink before setting his jug down with a heavy clink.
“Because Shoal’s trying to wake it?”
I shake my head. “Leviathan was always going to wake. Sooner or later. Shoal’s just one of many fire starters trying to accelerate the inevitable.”
Axel folds his arms, eyes darkening. “And what does that mean for us? Here, specifically?”
I shrug, heart heavy. “It means destruction. War. Maybe the Abyss will escape the worst of the surface’s environmental collapse, the disasters I’ve seen, but you’re not alone down here. Leviathan’s children—the Elder Kin—they’re already stirring. They thrive in this world. And thanks to Shoal and Lily’s meddling, they’re stronger than ever.”
I meet his gaze, unflinching. “Atlas might have an advantage. But you won’t escape what’s coming.”
Axel leans in, sharp and focused now. “You said you’ve seen these disasters. How?”
I hesitate. Then I tell him the truth.
“It’s part of my gift,” I say quietly. “Electra’s Heir. Or maybe it’s just genetic. Either way, I have a strong connection to the Ether. Electra sends me warnings. Dreams. Visions.”
Axel’s eyes widen slightly. “You’re sure they’re real? That they come from her?”
I nod. “I’ve spoken with Electra directly. More than once.”
Axel leans back, blowing out a long breath. “Do you think Wake will be able to speak to Dagon like that?”
“Maybe,” I say. “I hope so. It feels like the gods want us to be ready. Like they’re giving us every chance they can.”
Axel falls silent, processing. Then he throws back the rest of his drink and slams the jug down.
I swirl the remaining liquid in mine, watching it glow faintly.
“If it’s not too personal,” I ask. “Why aren’t you interested in trying to become Heir yourself?”
Axel smirks. “Because being Heir sounds like a colossal pain in the ass. All responsibility, no fun. Besides, all this mate business—” He winks. “I already have a partner. Tiere. And trust me, he’s not the sharing type.”
I chuckle. “Fair enough.”
I tap my jug against his. “What bothers me is that we know what Shoal’s trying to do, generally speaking. But the details are murky. I hate being so close yet still so far from the answers.”
Axel raises a brow. “What do you know so far?”
I sigh. “Other than ‘wake up Leviathan and convince him to share his cosmic powers’—not much. Shoal’s insanely cryptic. Both of your brothers are.”
Axel snorts. “That I can believe. But do you know his exact words? Sometimes phrasing matters.”
I search my memory, heart beating faster.
“‘Look to the star of the sea; its essence holds the key,’” I say carefully.
Axel mutters the phrase under his breath, frowning.
“Sound familiar?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No. But I know where we might find out.”
My stomach flips. “Where?”
Axel leans forward, eyes glinting.
“The same place Shoal made his discoveries,” he says. “The Forgotten Keep.”
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